FOREWORD

Forests offer a variety of edible products, of which edible nuts
form a distinct group.

Nuts are among the most nutritionally concentrated of human foods
and are an important food source for rural communities and forest dwellers.
While some of the edible nuts support subsistence, others are of considerable
commercial importance.

However, the role and importance of edible nuts as a Non-Wood Forest
Product is not adequately recognized or appreciated. An attempt is made
here to address this deficiency.

The document deals with a representative selection of major edible
nut producing plants, minor edible nut producing plants, and potential
edible nut producing plants. The purpose is to bring the importance of
edible nuts into sharp focus, to highlight their immense potential, to
encourage further studies and research relating to edible nuts and to promote
their development.

The draft of this publication was prepared by G.E. Wickens, previously
of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK), and it benefitted from the detailed
comments of G. Blaak, E.H. Sène and P. Vantomme. Laura Russo undertook
light editing of the text and organized the illustrations. Format editing
and proof reading was done by Elisa Rubini. Overall guidance and supervision
for the preparation and publication of the document was provided by C.
Chandrasekharan, Chief of the Non-Wood Products and Energy Branch. I wish
to express my thanks to all of them.

I have great pleasure in releasing this valuable publication and
feel confident that it will provide necessary impetus for positive action.